Stephen wilcox



(No Model.)

S. WILCOX.

Y GAS ENGINE. N0. 332,313. Patented Deo. 15, 188.5.

N. PETERS, Phmuawwpw, wumnhm u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea,

STEPHEN VILOOX, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,313, dated December15, 1885.

(No model.)

State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inGas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

In engines of this class, in which the combustible gases are usuallyfired in the workingcylinder, more or less difficulty has been niet within practice in maintaining an igniting-flame, particularly in devicesdesigned to ignite each successive charge, and the principal object ofmy present invention is to overcome this difficulty.

The invention consists in a separate combustion chamber or furnaceconnected to and communicating with the working -cylinder valve-chests,and to certain details in the construction and adaptation of saidcombustionchamber, whereinl the gases are introduced, mixed, and redpreparatory to admission to said working-cylinder.

In order that others may understand and practice my invention, I willproceed to describe it in connection with the accompanying drawing, inwhich the figure represents a central longitudinal section of a part ofa working-cylinder and valve-chests and a connected combustion chamberor furnace. v In the drawing a portion of the workingcylinder is shownat l, together with its induction-ports 2 2, valves 3 3, andvalve-chests 4 4. The valves 3 3 (shown for example) are constructed incylindrical form, with passages made directly through them, and areoscillated by any Well-known mechanism to cause said passages toregister with and close the ports leading from the furnace and to theworkingcylinder at any desired predetermined time during the stroke ofthe piston.

5 represents the combustion chamber or furnace in which the gases aremixed and fired preparatory to admission to the working-cylinder 1. Thisfurnace is preferably made of a shell of cast metal, in cylindricalform, with removable heads or bonnets, and of a capacity equa-l to therequirements of its intendedservice. Its shell 6 and head 7 are providedwith water-chambers 8 throughout, forming a water-jacket, and its entireinterior surface and openings exposed to the action of the heated gaseslined with {irc-brick or other refractory material, as indicated at 9.These expedients for counteracting the effect of high temperature areindividually well known, and the circulation of water through chambersarranged throughout all working parts of this class of engines,asintended in this case, is equally well understood. The furnace 5 isarranged adjacent to the working-cylinder l, and in the present instanceattached directly to the valve-chests 4 4, as shown, this arrangementhaving certain advantages, including a convenient location of theeduction-passages 10 10 and separation of the furnace andworking-cylinder, whereby the valve-chests are made accessible, so thatthe valve may be removed without opening the furnace and the chestwatenjacketed, besides presenting uniformity in design, and is thereforea preferred construction.

12 represents the burner, to which the aii` and iniiammable iiuid isconveyed from the source of supply. It is connected with and forms apart of the head or bonnet 13, whereby it may be readily placed orremoved by detaching its pipe-connections and removing the bonnet. Theburner consists in a hollow head, 14, projecting into thecombustion-chain ber, and cast in a single piece with the bonnet 13, asshown. It may, however, be made in a separate piece. The end or top ofthis head 14 is beveled, as shown at 15, and covered by a hollowspherical cap, 16, resting on and fitted to said beveled portion, andheld in place by a central depending boss, 17 and connected spindle 18,that passes through a lug, 19, projecting from the head 14. The spindle18 is connected with the boss 17 by a screw-thread, and passes looselythrough the lug 19, and carries a spiral spring, 20, placedbetween saidlug and the spindle-head 21, whereby the tension of the spring is madeadjustableand capable of holding the cap 16 in place under variousdegrees of air-pressure. This cap or valve 16 not only covers thecentral air-passage, 22, but its beveled rim also covers the annularpassage 23, through which the inflammable fluid enters from the pipe 24,leading from its source of supply.

25 represents an absorbent that may be composed of any porous substancethat surrounds the head 14 and receives the saturated air,

IOO

and from this absorbent the flame is derived. A stop-valve, 26, isplaced beneath the central air-passage and regulates the admission ofthe air from its reservoir or source of supply, an auxiliary air-pipe,27, being provided to allow a small quantity of air to enter the burner,sufficient to maintain a flame when the engine isvstopped and thestop-valve 26 closed, aplug-cock, 28, being provided to shut off thepassage of air through the auxiliary pipe 27.

The main stop-valve 26 may also be used, in

place of the auxiliary pipe 27, for admitting air to maintain.combustion in the furnace when the engine is still by partially openingthe same.

29 is a relief or escape passage that is closed by a swinging gate, 30.This gate is provided with a recess that contains a valve, 31, coveringthe passage 29. This valve is made in cup shape and held on its seat bythe inclosed spiral spring 32, which is compressed to more or lesstension by the setscrew 33. The gate 30 is pivoted at 34 and operated atthe will of the attendant by means of the handle 35, that is projectedthrough a slot in the surrounding escape-pipe. The object of this gate30 is to facilitate the ignition of the burner at starting, to exhaustthe furnace when desired, or to vent the same in maintaining slowcombustion when the engine is at rest, the valve 31 operating to insurea gas-tight joint. A safety-valve, 36, is also provided,

and preferably arranged in the reversed position shown, in order toprotect it, so far 'as possible, from the action of the hot gases. Itwill be observed that the escape-passage leading to this safety-valvefrom the combustion-chamber-is made at an angle to the direction ofescape through the refractory lining, the same expedient being alsoapplied to the eduction-passages leading to the inductionvalves of theworking-cylinder, the object of this construction being to check areturn of the gases to the combustion-chamber after once entering thesepassages, wherein a sensible cooling effect may be produced from theincidental exposure of these connections to the water-jackets orexternal air. This valve is of the ordinary type in construction andoperation and 'adjusted toany desired point to relieve the furnace froman excess of pressure in the usual way.

38 is the igniting-port, through which a lighted torch is passed forigniting the burner 12, a suitable cap or cover (shown at 39) beingprovided.

40 and 41 represent openings through which the attendant can inspect theinterior of the furnace and eduction-ports. These openings are locatedopposite the eduction-ports in direct line of sight, and are'furnishedwith transparent sight-caps, as shown at 42, and interposed cocks toopen 'and close the same.

Having now referred tosuch details of an apparatus embodying myinvention that will enable others to construct the same, I will brieflydescribe the operation of such details yand subsequently point out thenovel characteristics in the claims. Air under compression is admittedto the central chamber, 22, and regulated by the stop-valve 26, and theinflammable fluid or oil supply enters the adjacent passage and chamber23 through the pipe 24, that is connected with a pump or other chargingdevice. The initial air-pressure lifts the cap 16 and the air isdirected downward under the rim of said cap and across its beveled seat15 to the absorbent 25. In lifting the cap 16 the annular passageleading from the oil-supply is uncovered, which allows the 'inflammablefluid to escape simultaneously with the air, and by which it is carriedto the absorbent 25, where it is vaporized and made available uponignition as the impelling agent, the torch being applied to the burnerthrough the firing-port 38. When vthe engine is at rest, the flame maybemaintained with aslow combustion by the admission of a small quanf tityof air through the auxiliary air-pipe 27 or stop-valve 26, the gate 30being opened a sufficient amount to regulate the same. Small engines maybe immediately set in motion upon lighting the lire, but large enginesrequire means for maintaining the fire until it is convenient to startthe same.A Therefore I place the igniting-port at the bottom and theescape-outlet at the top of the furnace.A When the valves covering theseopenings are open and a small supply of oil delivered by means of ahand-pump or otherwise, the fire may be started and maintained by thenatural draft through said openings, so as to gradually heat up thefurnace, this being conducive to the durability of the refractory liningand keeping the furnace in condition for instant service. In smallengines the lighting-port may also serve as the escape-outlet when airisadmitted to sustain slow combustion.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A gas-engine containing aworking-cylinder, a combustion-chamber separated therefrom, andanintermediate induction-valve chest to which said parts are connected,whereby the valve is independently located so IIO that it maybe removedwithout disturbing lable of .automatic action by the pressure of theair. v

STEPHEN WILGOX.

Witnesses:

GHAs. W. FoRBEs, AUG. CREVELING.

